Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 23 July 1999

Scottish Executive

Equal Opportunities

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on age discrimination in employment.

Donald Dewar: The Scottish Executive is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on grounds of age in recruitment or employment.

European Funding

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that Glasgow is not adversely affected by the decrease in the proportion of the UK population covered by objective 1 and Objective 2 status.

Mr Jack McConnell: As noted in my reply of 30 June to the Member’s earlier question, the responsibility for agreeing a list of areas where the UK will propose Objective 2 designation lies with the UK Government. The Scottish Executive and the UK Government are considering jointly the Scottish areas to be included in that list.

  The needs of Glasgow, as of all other areas, will be taken into account. The requirement to concentrate the European Structural Funding for the new programmes means that it is inevitable that some areas will not be on the list. All existing Objective 2 and 5b areas will retain, at minimum, transitional Objective 2 status and funding.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the planned level of capital investment in the National Health Service in Scotland for financial years 1999-2000 to 2001-02 inclusive, in real terms.

Susan Deacon: Capital investment at 1999-2000 prices is as follows:

  

 

£ million




1999-2000 
  

166.0 
  



2000-01 
  

187.3 
  



2001-02 
  

200.8

Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the amount of public spending on tackling drug addiction in Scotland for each of the past ten financial years.

Susan Deacon: The information is not available centrally. In addition to formal drugs programmes, there is spend to tackle drug misuse within a wide range of health, social work, police and criminal justice services.

  The following statistics are, however, available:-

  Health Board provision for drug treatment services

  


Financial Year 
  

£000s 
  



1994-95 
  

2,535 
  



1995-96 
  

8,182 
  



1996-97 
  

9,182 
  



1997-98 
  

9,946 
  



Financial Year 
  

£000s 
  



1998-99 
  

9,862 
  



1999-00 
  

11,862 
  



  Total gross revenue expenditure by local authorities on substance misuse

  


Financial Year (1) 
  

£000s 
  



1987-88 
  

542 
  



1988-89 
  

587 
  



1989-902


2,915 
  



1990-91 
  

3,161 
  



1991-92 
  

3,372 
  



1992-93 
  

4,530 
  



1993-94 
  

5,812 
  



1994-953


11,287 
  



1995-96 
  

12,413 
  



1996-974


11,219 
  



  Notes

  Source: Data as reported by local authorities on Local Financial Returns (LFR3 Social Work), for relevant financial year

  1. For each year the expenditure figures contain an estimate for loan charges, revenue contribution to capital and support service costs. 

  2. Prior to 1989/90 the figure contained "Day Centres" and "Residential Accommodation" only. From 1989/90 expenditure figures included "Day centres", "Residential Accommodation" and "Other Services for Addicts", (Substance Misuse). 

  3. Prior to this year the category " Substance Misuse" was known as Addicts"

  4. Prior to this year Regional Councils reported data. From 1996-97 data as reported by unitary councils.

Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the drug support services in Scotland which are funded with public money, including their primary functions, locations, staff numbers and annual budgets.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

Housing

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish on the internet the responses to the "Investing in modernisation – an agenda for Scotland’s housing" green paper.

Ms Wendy Alexander: All the responses to the Green Paper (except for those expressly submitted in confidence) are already available for public inspection at the offices of the Scottish Executive, and I have also arranged for copies to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. I have no plans at present to publish all the responses on the Internet, but a summary of the responses will be produced and made available on the Internet in due course.

Justice

Mr Keith Raffan (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers in each force area are normally available for duty on the beat during the current financial year and what were the equivalent figures for each of the past eight years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested. The deployment of officers is entirely a matter for Chief Constables but the vast majority of police officers in all forces are involved in operational duties.

Lord Advocate

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to redefine the responsibilities of the Lord Advocate.

Donald Dewar: There are no plans to do so in the short term. Scottish Executive portfolios will, however, be kept under review in the light of developing experience of operating the devolved administration.

The Parliament

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for marking the official opening of the Scottish Parliament in the south of Scotland.

Donald Dewar: A wide range of organisations were involved in the Opening Ceremony, including school children from every constituency in Scotland. Plans to mark the opening of the Parliament in particular areas of Scotland were matters for local decision.